My sister, Georgia, and I have begged my mother for a dog ever since I can remember. After many arguments and tears my mother eventually caved and along came our rescue dog, Merlin.
Merlin was the most naughtiest yet loveliest dog in the world. There was something about being scared to sit on my own bunk incase he would eat me up that made my heart grow fond of him and over time I eventually encouraged my father to let me hold Merlin on a lead whilst we walked... all for two seconds as I fell flat on my face and cried the whole way home.
Still, the way Merlin would literally head-butt the door when the post man came and the way he would cuddle up to my mother and father when they headed to bed made all of my family completely in awe of him so when it came to Merlin having to leave, I don't think I have ever to this day cried so much (nor ever seeing my brother or father cry).
Over ten years later, to my surprise Belle came along. After a phone call from Georgia saying she was picking my mother up from the airport and letting her know they were picking Belle up, I was amused. Georgia and I had tried ever since Merlin had left to gain another pet, even a fish would have been ok. Still, it was either the water in Marbella or my mother being too tired to think... Belle came home that day.
Five months on, Belle is extremely loveable. We have seen her grow from literally being small enough to sit in our hands to an extremely fast, boisterous dog that is still continuing to grow. However now being twenty years old, I completely understand why my Mother was so reluctant for all of those years to let us have a dog.
There are already hundreds of happy memories with Belle and I wouldn't switch her for the world yet there is always that pressure in knowing Belle is for a very long time. From simple things e.g. wanting to go out for Sunday lunch to bigger things like holidays, a dog is always now going to be in the back of our minds as we are after all, her new family.
Even now, with Belle warming my toes and fast asleep, I still feel the guilt building up when I have to leave her in the house when I go out. And so really my message is: I believed there wasn't another person in the world that wanted a dog more than myself and my sister but the reality of almost feeling like I have a child and Belle isn't officially mine has hit, hard.
Always remember that a dog really is for their whole life, whether it be five years or fifteen.
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